Entomology, however, played the star role in the murder trial.The police had invited David Faulkner, the local forensic entomologist, to attend the autopsy, where he collected the insects from Danielle’s remains.

After examining the maggots, he stated that they began growing ten to twelve days prior to the autopsy (so February 16 to 18).[22][23][24]

This discovery did not match up with the prosecution, since insects normally infest a body within minutes or hours, and Westerfield was under surveillance during this time (from the night of the 4th), and so could not have dumped the body.[25]

Faulkner was therefore hired instead by the defense as their expert witness. Dr. Neal Haskell also testified for the defense, stating that initial colonization occurred between February 12 and February 21.[26]

The prosecution called in Dr. Madison Lee Goff, who estimated that initial insect infestation occurred February 9 to February 14.[27]

The defense then called Dr. Robert Hall, who believed the body of the victim was initially infested between February 12 and February 23.[28]Hall was heavily interrogated as to his method for figuring the post-mortem interval and important weather factors.

The entomology therefore pointed strongly to the body only being accessed by insects in the middle of the month, so the prosecution argued that there was a delay in infestation.

For example, a body covering, such as a blanket, might have kept flies at bay initially. But no covering was found, (or at least not photographed) and Goff said the longest delay by such a shroud was two-and-a-half days.[29][30]

Goff and forensic anthropologist Dr. William Rodriguez said ants and coyotes might have eaten the first waves of fly eggs or larvae on Danielle’s body, making it appear the body was exposed for a shorter time.
But flies lay batches of hundreds of eggs, and Hall said they might attack some of the larvae, but he didn't think they would be able to completely wipe away remnants of a first wave.[31][32]

This was the driest year in San Diego in more than a century, as a result of which the fly population was the lowest Faulkner had ever seen. But Hall said insects are “extremely resilient” to drought, Faulkner said flies were still present, and Haskell said the insect life recovered from the body proved flies were still abundant at the scene.[33][34][35]

There were only a couple of maggots in her head, even though bugs are usually drawn first to the head. But that could be because the body was naked, so the pelvic openings were immediately available, and in any case the Medical Examiner didn’t think it unusual to have the brain still intact.[36][37][38]

It was suggested that bleach on the body might repel insects. Haskell didn’t know, but experiments with muriatic acid, which is much more powerful, had only delayed egg laying by two to three days.[39]

The main prosecution argument was that the body was rapidly mummified by the hot, dry weather: the surface became a hard case making it inhospitable to insects until it was opened by scavengers, which could have been several days later.

But the first Santa Ana wind only began on the 7th, and Hall said flies could be attracted to bodies that were mummified on the outside.[40][41][42]

Goff and Rodriguez argued that the small size of the body - 58 pounds - was partly responsible for the rapid mummification, but the pigs used in Goff’s studies were even smaller.[29]

Prosecutors also suggested that the body might have been kept for 24 to 36 hours in a storage compartment in the motor home before it was dumped, and this contributed to the mummification. But Haskell said such a scenario could have kept her body from being colonized by insects, but it also would have accelerated her decomposition and made her more attractive to blow flies.[43][44]
(Notice how the prosecution has an excuse for every piece of evidence that doesn't fit, but doesn't have evidence to back their excuses?)

Q DID YOU FIND ANY BLOOD?
A NOT BLOOD THAT WE WOULD RECOGNIZE AS BLOOD, NO. THE RED FLUID IN THE CHEST IS THE CLOSEST WE CAN GET TO BLOOD IN A CASE THIS DECOMPOSED.

Q THE FACT THERE WAS NO BLOOD IN THE VEINS OR THE HEART, DOES THAT TELL YOU ANYTHING?
A NO, IT DOESN'T TELL ME ANYTHING, BECAUSE OF THE ANIMAL ACTIVITY REMOVING ALL THE MUSCLES.
(It tells me, something drained the blood from Danielle's heart and veins. Would a heart and veins void of blood be one sign of embalming? Was the red fluid in the chest tested for traces of embalming fluid? Does embalming seem far fetched even though it appears to answer many questions about the unusual condition of Danielle's body?)

(..."The embalmed pigs decomposed at a delayed rate in comparison to the pig that was not embalmed." ...
..."with the embalmed pigs, fly activity was not present until the 8th day,"...)

After examining the maggots, he stated that they began growing ten to twelve days prior to the autopsy (so February 16 to 18).
(Feb 1-4 plus 8 days = February 16 and February 18.)

Dr. Neal Haskell also testified for the defense, stating that initial colonization occurred between February 12 and February 21.
(Feb 1-4 plus 8 days = February 12 and February 21.)

The prosecution called in Dr. Madison Lee Goff, who estimated that initial insect infestation occurred February 9 to February 14.
(Feb 1-4 plus 8 days = February 9 and February 14.)

Dr. Robert Hall, who believed the body of the victim was initially infested between February 12 and February 23.
(Feb 1-4 plus 8 days = February 12 and February 23.)
(The maths appears to be consistent with embalming, doesn't it? Don't ya love fuzzy math? Excuse me, fuzzy entomology?)

...The entomology therefore pointed strongly to the body only being accessed by insects in the middle of the month, so the prosecution argued that there was a delay in infestation.
(..."The embalmed pigs decomposed at a delayed rate in comparison to the pig that was not embalmed." ...
..."with the embalmed pigs, fly activity was not present until the 8th day,"...)
(Hey Jeff, here's a bit of science designed to support your delayed insect theory. Let's pretend the insects were delayed about, I don't know, let's say perhaps 8 DAYS. Without a shroud of shroud evidence, maybe Westerfield had Danielle's body embalmed. Nah, that would mean more than one perp and more than one constitutes a conspiracy. And we all KNOW there are no such things as conspiracies don't we?)

The decomposition rate was observed to progress more rapidly for the pigs with lower embalming fluid chemical compositions, suggesting that the concentration of the chemicals in the embalming fluids was a key factor in the rate of decomposition. With 10% formaldehyde concentration, the pigs skipped the decomposition phase and progressed directly to the mummification phase(see Figure 2).

By the end of the 46th day of the experiment, the pig‘s skin had begun to take on a leathery texture, beginning the process of the mummification. However, decomposition was not apparent on the body until the last two weeks of the experiment when the body began noticeably deteriorating. Pig V decomposed due to the low concentration of formaldehyde and fast degradation of the chemical to non-toxic levels. The lack of additional chemicals (e.g., phenol and glycerin) in the embalming solution for Pig V could have contributed to the maggot activity on Pig V.

The embalmed pigs decomposed at a delayed rate in comparison to the pig that was not embalmed. Flies and fly eggs were present within 12 hours of Pig C being laid out and maggot activity had begun within 24 hours. However, with the embalmed pigs, fly activity was not present until the 8th day, and the fly eggs that were laid remained unhatched. Pig C was completely skeletonized within four days, and Pig C did not retain flesh long enough to show signs of mold or mummification. Pigs with a 5% or higher solution of formaldehyde showed mold growth and signs of mummification, beginning with the desiccation of the eyes and exposed organs. By the 50th day, mummification was complete, and the skin had begun to deteriorate

Because each scientist has his own method of determining the life spans, the process can lead to disagreement, Merritt said. Rarely, however, does the disagreement concern the 15-day disparity in the Westerfield case.

"A lot of the disagreements involve a variation in one day, two days," said Merritt. "Not over a week and a half. If it's that big a time, someone screwed up."

Entomology, however, played the star role in the murder trial. The police had invited David Faulkner, the local forensic entomologist, to attend the autopsy, where he collected the insects from Danielle’s remains.

After examining the maggots, he stated that they began growing ten to twelve days prior to the autopsy (so February 16 to 18).

"A lot of the disagreements involve a variation in one day, two days," said Merritt. "Not over a week and a half. If it's that big a time, someone screwed up."

"...someone screwed up..."
February 12 and February 21.
February 9 to February 14.
February 12 and February 23

Q DID YOU FIND ANY BLOOD?
A NOT BLOOD THAT WE WOULD RECOGNIZE AS BLOOD, NO. THE RED FLUID IN THE CHEST IS THE CLOSEST WE CAN GET TO BLOOD IN A CASE THIS DECOMPOSED.

Q THE FACT THERE WAS NO BLOOD IN THE VEINS OR THE HEART, DOES THAT TELL YOU ANYTHING?
A NO, IT DOESN'T TELL ME ANYTHING, BECAUSE OF THE ANIMAL ACTIVITY REMOVING ALL THE MUSCLES.
(If the body was mummified, wouldn't that seal the blood in the veins and heart? Hmmm. It's OK to use your imagination. Sometimes it will lead you closer to the truth, if that is indeed what you seek. I doubt it is, but I still retain hope for Danielle and David. As you KNOW, I don't give up that easy.)

Arterial embalming is begun by injecting embalming fluid into an artery while the blood is drained from a nearby vein or from the heart. The two gallons or so needed is usually a mixture of formaldehyde or other chemical and water. In the case of certain cancers, some diabetic conditions, or because of the drugs used prior to death (where body deterioration has already begun), a stronger or “waterless” solution is likely to be used for better body preservation. Chemicals are also injected by syringe into other areas of the body.

Once the embalming fluid begins to flow into the arterial system, pressure begins to build up in the entire vascular system. This helps the fluid reach all parts of the body and penetrate into the tissues. Evidence of this can be seen in bulging veins throughout the body. The jugular drain tube is opened periodically (it is normally closed) to allow blood to escape and prevent too much pressure in the vascular system which could cause swelling. The blood drains directly into the sewer system, which sounds gross, but in reality much worse things go into our sewers.

Once arterial injection has been completed, the arterial and jugular tubes are removed, the vessels are tied closed, and the incision used to access the vessels is sutured closed and sealed with a special chemical.

4. Cavity Embalming
Arterial fluids mainly treat the skin, muscles, and organs themselves. What’s inside the organs (such as urine, bile, etc.) begins to decompose. Gases and bacteria can build up and cause distention, odor, and purge (such as brown fluids coming out of the mouth – not exactly the way you want to remember grandma). These bacteria can sometimes spread to other parts of the body, even after arterial embalming, causing decomposition problems (and then sometimes legal problems for the funeral home).

Q WHAT WAS THE CONDITION OF HER MOUTH?
A THE MOUTH WAS FULL OF THE SOFT MATERIAL, MORE APPEARANCE OF MUD, YOU KNOW. I DON'T BELIEVE IT WAS MUD. JUST THE TISSUE HAD DETERIORATED TO THAT DEGREE. BUT WE DID SWAB IT.
(Look here Jeff! More evidence to support the embalming theory. Not your theory, but perhaps a step closer to the truth? After all, isn't the truth the most important issue with regards to the ALLEGED murder of any human being? Anybody in Sabre Springs have an association with a mortuary? Can you think of a better place to hide a dead body than in a mortuary? Did you ever think of searching mortuaries for a body that disappears off the face of the earth for two weeks or so?)

Cavity treatment starts with aspirating (suctioning) fluids out of the internal organs in the abdomen and thoracic cavity. This is accomplished this with the use of a trocar. The embalmer uses it to puncture the stomach, bladder, large intestines, and lungs. Gas and fluids are withdrawn before “cavity fluid” (a stronger mix of formaldehyde) is injected into the torso. The anus and vagina may be packed with cotton or gauze to prevent seepage if necessary. (A close-fitting plastic garment may also be used.)

These steps apply only to a body that has not been autopsied. During autopsy all the internal organs are removed and inspected by the medical examiner and then placed back inside the body or sometimes incinerated. At the funeral home, the mortician removes the viscera and places it in a plastic bag called a “viscera bag” and allows it to soak in cavity chemical. The inside of the body cavity is aspirated with a special instrument and then coated with an embalming gel and/or an embalming powder. The treated organs are then placed back inside the body or the bag full of organs gets placed at the foot end of the casket (so never try to admire a deceased’s shoes!)

Yahoo! editors have selected this article on the words most liars use as a favorite for 2012. It first appeared on August 31, posted by Cosmopolitan.com on Yahoo! Shine, and became one of the most popular stories of the year. 13,266 readers commented on the story, offering their own suggestions for words liars use, like "I forgot" and "trust me". We have no information on whether they were lying or not.

Odds are, you and your guy have a great relationship, and the only lies he tells are little fibs. But it's good to know how to spot the signs he could be telling a whopper. Lie detection expert Janine Driver, author of the new book, You Can't Lie to Me, fills us in on the words that give away a liar.

By Korin Miller

The words most liars use

"Left"
Sure, sometimes 'left' is the only word you can use in a situation, but there's some kind of drama involved when he uses it in place of another word that will do (think: "I left the bar at six" vs. "I went home at six"). It could be due to his desire to "leave" the lie behind.

"Never"
The big thing to look out for is when he says "never" when "no" will do. It's a sign he's overcompensating. For example, if you ask, "Did you just look at that girl's butt?" and he says, "Never!"

"That"
Like never, it depends on how he uses it. If he puts "that" in front of a noun, like "that woman" or "that money," it's a subconscious attempt for him to distance himself from the word. This is a common trick of manipulators.

"Would"
If he skips "no" and goes straight to "I would never do something like that!" when talking about a past event, be wary. For example, "Are you still talking to your ex?" "I would never do that to you!" "Would never" suggests that he plans to do it in the future.

"Yes, ma'am"
If your guy is a Southern gentleman, then this doesn't apply. But if he suddenly says "ma'am" to you out of nowhere, be cautious. It's a sign that he feels like he's feeling stressed and knows he's in trouble.

"By the way…"
Liars use phrases like this to try to minimize what they say next-but usually it's what's most important to the story. Pay extra attention to what he says afterward.

"But"
Liars usually try to downplay what they say with this word, so pay attention when he says something like, "I know this is going to sound strange, but…" or "I know you think I'm lying, but…"

"Why would I do that?"
It's a favorite stalling line of liars, so they can buy a little time to work out what to say next. These phrases also fit the bill: "What kind of person do you think I am?", "Are you calling me a liar?", and "I knew this was going to happen to me!"

However, embalming does not involve just the substitution of formaldehyde or some similar preservative for the blood in the body. It is a process meant both to avoid the negative effects of decomposition and to create the most life like dead body possible. The embalmer with massage the muscles to alleviate rigor mortis. Then, a small incision is made, usually on the neck, in order to reach the carotid artery and the jugular vein. (3) Usually, blood is drained out of the jugular vein and the preservative pumped in through the carotid artery. The process is never simple, as clots and other such impediments will call for a variety of fluids to be used—anti-clotting agents are needed especially, as an effect of many preservatives is to clot the blood.

Q. IN A TYPICAL CASE DO YOU TRY TO TAKE URINE AND BLOOD SAMPLES FROM YOUR AUTOPSY?
A. IN A NORMAL CASE WE DO, YES.

Q. WERE YOU ABLE TO DO THAT HERE?
A. YES. THERE WAS NO BLOOD, NO URINE.

Q. WERE YOU ABLE TO ELIMINATE DISEASE TO BE THE CAUSE OF DEATH?
A. YES. THE BRAIN WAS THERE BUT IT WAS NORMAL.
(After 3 and a half weeks?)

Q. HOW CONFIDENT CAN YOU BE WHEN YOU TRY TO DETERMINE CAUSE OF DEATH?
A. WELL, THE VAST MAJORITY OF TIMES WE'RE ABLE TO FIND A FAIRLY DEFINITIVE CAUSE OF DEATH; A MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT OR GUNSHOT WOUND OR SUICIDAL INGESTION OF MEDICATION. WE CAN BE CERTAIN THAT'S WHAT THE CAUSE OF DEATH IS. HEART ATTACK, A MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION IN THE HEART, I'M QUITE CERTAIN IF A MAN GRABS HIS CHEST AND COLLAPSES. I'M FAIRLY CERTAIN THAT CAUSE OF DEATH IS A NATURAL DISEASE IF SOMEONE HAS CANCER AND THERE IS CANCER ALL OVER THE BODY AND THEY'RE FOUND DEAD.

THERE ARE A FEW CASES WHERE WE ARE UNCERTAIN AND EVERYTHING WE DO, THE AUTOPSY, THE HISTORY, THE TOXICOLOGY, EX-RAYS, GOING BACK AND TALKING TO HIS DOCTOR, TALKING TO HIS FAMILY, WE DON'T FIND ANYTHING. WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IN THESE CASES IS SAY HONESTLY WE DON'T KNOW.IT'S AN UNDETERMINED CAUSE OF DEATH.
(Ya know it's a homicide, yet you don't know how the victim was killed? Perhaps it was an in-home accident?)

Q DOCTOR, WERE YOU ABLE TO DETERMINE A CAUSE OF DEATH?
A NO. THE CAUSE RIGHT NOW IS STILL PENDING. ALTHOUGH I DID NOT FIND ANY ANATOMICAL CAUSES OF DEATH, WHICH MEANS THERE WERE NO INJURIES AT THE TIME OF THE AUTOPSY OR ANY REASON TO, ANYTHING TO EXPLAIN WHY SHE DIED.
(Or HOW she died?)

...Q. HOW DEFINITIVE CAN YOU BE ON A TIME OF DEATH OR DOES IT DEPEND?
A. THE DETERMINATION OF TIME OF DEATH IS ALWAYS AN ESTIMATE, NEVER EXACT. REMEMBER WHAT QUINCY SAYS, IT'S NOT EXACT.
(Yet the entomologists weren't exact, were they?)

Q. LIVIDITY, ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THAT TERM?
A. YES.

Q. BRIEFLY CAN YOU TELL US WHAT LIVIDITY MEANS?
A. LIVIDITY IS A POSTMORTEM PHENOMENON, ALSO DOES NOT OCCUR DURING LIFE. AND SIMPLY AS A RESULT OF GRAVITY, THE BLOOD IN THE CIRCULATION, WHEN THE HEART STOPS, JUST BY GRAVITY GOES TO THE DEPENDENT AREAS, WHATEVER IS DOWNWARD.

IF THE BODY'S LYING IN BED ON THEIR BACK, RIGOR MORTIS WILL BE IN THE BACK AND THE LOWER PARTS OF THE SIDES. IF A PERSON IS LYING ON A BED, RIGOR WILL BE IN THE LEGS BECAUSE IT GOES DOWNWARDS, WHICH IS HARD FOR US, SOMEONE THAT IS FACE DOWN, THEIR HEAD OFF THE BED, ALTHOUGH LIVIDITY GOES TO THE HEAD, NOT BAD BECAUSE WHEN THE DECOMPOSITION STARTS, THE DECOMPOSITION STARTS WHERE THE BLOOD IS.

SO LIVIDITY STARTS IMMEDIATELY AFTER DEATH, BUT IT'S NOT READILY APPARENT FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS. THEN AFTER ABOUT EIGHT HOURS THE LIVIDITY BECOMES FIXED. IT'S STUCK IN THAT POSITION. AND THEN IF THE BODY IS SUBSEQUENTLY MOVED INTO A NEW POSITION, INSTEAD OF LYING ON ITS BACK IT'S LYING ON THE FRONT, SOME OF THE BLOOD IS STILL FLUID, IT WILL GO TO THE NEW POSITION. THEY USE THAT IN DETECTIVES STORIES ABOUT A BODY BEING MOVED FROM ONE POSITION TO ANOTHER POSITION OVER TIME, BUT IT'S NOT A GREAT DEAL OF HELP TO US NORMALLY. BUT THE FIXED LIVIDITY IS ABOUT SIX TO EIGHT HOURS. SOMETIMES THAT HELPS US.

Q. THAT IS AT LEAST ONE WAY OF TRYING TO DETERMINE A TIME OF DEATH?
A. YES.

Q. WAS IT USEFUL IN THIS CASE?
A. NO, IT WASN'T. I DID NOT SEE ANY LIVIDITY AT ALL.

...Q DID YOU FIND ANY BLOOD?
A NOT BLOOD THAT WE WOULD RECOGNIZE AS BLOOD, NO. THE RED FLUID IN THE CHEST IS THE CLOSEST WE CAN GET TO BLOOD IN A CASE THIS DECOMPOSED.

Q THE FACT THERE WAS NO BLOOD IN THE VEINS OR THE HEART, DOES THAT TELL YOU ANYTHING?
A NO, IT DOESN'T TELL ME ANYTHING, BECAUSE OF THE ANIMAL ACTIVITY REMOVING ALL THE MUSCLES.

Q: Were you able to give us a ballpark estimate on time of death for danielle?
A: Well, just looking at the body, it was clear to me she had been dead for a considerable period of time. And just looking at the body alone, not taking any circumstances into consideration, i would say from ten days to possibly six weeks.

Q: Why do you say that, doctor?
A: Well, it would take a minimum of ten days outside in the environment to get the extreme degree of mummification and have the putrefaction go through most of its process and then sort of disappear so that things like the lips were already, were not swollen, they were sort of back to not normal size, but they had receded. We see this in cases where bodies are found in the desert, for instance.

I knew it would be a minimum of ten days. And the maximum, well, the heart and the lungs were still identifiable and, in fact, i was able to dissect them in almost a normal fashion. So it wasn't a long time; it wasn't months. So it's subjective. It's an estimate. That's my estimate.

Faulkner. After examining the maggots, he stated that they began growing ten to twelve days prior to the autopsy (so February 16 to 18 - February 17.).
(Feb 27 minus 10 days = February 16 and February 18. It appears his minimum agrees with Faulkner's minimum, doesn't it?)

Dr. Neal Haskell also testified for the defense, stating that initial colonization occurred between February 12 and February 21 - February 17..
(Feb 27 minus 10 days = February 12 and February 21.)

The prosecution called in Dr. Madison Lee Goff, who estimated that initial insect infestation occurred February 9 to February 14 - February 17..
(Feb 27 minus 10 days = February 9 and February 14.)

Dr. Robert Hall, who believed the body of the victim was initially infested between February 12 and February 23 - February 17..
(Feb 27 minus 10 days = February 12 and February 23.)
(The maths appears to be consistent with Blackbourne's minimum, doesn't it? His maximum would have been two weeks before Danielle went missing?)

Faulkner. After examining the maggots, he stated that they began growing ten to twelve days prior to the autopsy (so February 16 to 18).
(Feb 1-4 plus 8 days = February 16 and February 18????)

Dr. Neal Haskell also testified for the defense, stating that initial colonization occurred between February 12 and February 21.
(Feb 1-4 plus 8 days = February 12 and February 21.)

The prosecution called in Dr. Madison Lee Goff, who estimated that initial insect infestation occurred February 9 to February 14.
(Feb 1-4 plus 8 days = February 9 and February 14.)

Dr. Robert Hall, who believed the body of the victim was initially infested between February 12 and February 23.
(Feb 1-4 plus 8 days = February 12 and February 23.)
(The maths appears to be consistent with embalming, doesn't it? Don't ya love fuzzy math? Excuse me, fuzzy entomology?)

Q DID YOU FIND ANY BLOOD?
A NOT BLOOD THAT WE WOULD RECOGNIZE AS BLOOD, NO. THE RED FLUID IN THE CHEST (4.3 ounces) IS THE CLOSEST WE CAN GET TO BLOOD IN A CASE THIS DECOMPOSED.

...Q WHAT'S THE PLEURAL CAVITY?
A THE CHEST CAVITY, INSIDE THE CHEST BUT OUTSIDE OF THE LUNGS. THERE WAS 80 CC'S (2.7 fl oz) ON ONE SIDE AND 50 CC'S (1.6 fl oz) ON THE OTHER, WHICH WE SAVED FOR OUR TOXICOLOGY EXAMINATION.
(4.3 ounces of what? It wasn't blood!! Was it coyote saliva? Was it tears? Couldn't have been water as the Santa Ana winds and extremely dry conditions would have evaporated the water away. Could it have been embalming fluid? You know something designed to preserve the body. No blood, but 4.3 ounces of fluid in the chest?)

The Clean-up*
*Crime-scene cleaners are usually "secondary responders" -- they arrive after the police, firefight*ers, paramedics and coroner. The scene is typically already secured, but the clean-up crew needs to confirm this and continue to make sure the public can't enter the scene, because it's a biohazard. The most common clean-up scenes include:

*In all of these clean-ups, the cleaners arrive with the same equipment. Once they assess the scene and the damage, they have a lot of tools to choose from to help them return the room, apartment or house to its pre-incident state.

Each type of clean-up scene comes with its own unique horrors, none of which seem to bother the people who do this job. In the case of a violent death, there are bodily fluids to deal with, each tiny drop carrying germs, bacteria and, possibly, infectious diseases. In something like a suicide where a person cuts his wrists or shoots himself in the head, there's tons of blood; if someone is shot in the chest, though, there's very little blood because the lungs suck it in. But no matter how much of it there is, the cleaners have to approach it as if it were carrying bloodborne pathogens like HIV, hepatitis and hantavirus.

The thing about crime-scene clean-up is that the scene has to be truly clean, not just apparently clean. In addition to the infection that can result from bloodborne pathogens, any bodily fluids that remain in floors, carpets, baseboards or walls can lead to mold, bacteria and fungus, which can cause sickness months or years later.

To truly clean the scene of a messy homicide, suicide, accidental death or undiscovered death and restore the area to its previous state can take anywhere from an hour to 40 hours. It all depends on the "degree of trauma" and the amount of biohazardous material at the site. Cleaners use a hospital grade disinfectant to wipe or scrub every drop of blood off of all surfaces, including counters, ceilings, walls, light fixtures, little glass trinkets, family pictures, artwork and appliances. They scrape brain matter off of walls and collect any bone fragments embedded in the drywall.

Q: ALL RIGHT. WERE ANY OF THE WALLS DESTROYED?
A: YEAH. ONE OF THE WALLS BY THE ENTRYWAY THEY TOOK A COUPLE CHUNKS OF IT.

Q: TOOK THE DRYWALL ACTUALLY?
A: YEAH. THE DRYWALL AND STUDS.

Q: DID YOU PLACE ANY LIMITATIONS ON WHAT THEY COULD TAKE FROM YOUR HOUSE?
A: NONE AT ALL. WE ENCOURAGED THEM TO TAKE WHATEVER THEY NEEDED.

Damon:
Q: HOW ABOUT YOUR WIFE; DID YOU SEE HER DO ANY OF THAT WHILE YOU WERE THERE?
A: I DON'T REMEMBER SPECIFICALLY SEEING HER. I KNOW WHEN THEY LET US BACK IN I SAW SOME OF THE LADIES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD CLEANING THE STAIRS. THAT'S WHEN I ASKED THAT THEY CLOSE UP DANIELLE'S ROOM AND NOT CLEAN IT. I DON'T KNOW WHO WAS CLEANING WHAT, THOUGH.

They rip out and discard any blood-soaked carpeting and get rid of any blood-soaked upholstery, window treatments or rugs. Sometimes, they need to collect and remove small pieces of the body -- the coroner takes most of it, but if it was a particularly violent death, there may parts left behind.

In a decomp, the scene is usually not quite as spread out as in a violent death, but a decomposing body can be even more gruesome than a suicide. A body that has been deceased for days, weeks or months has gone through some changes. In decomposition, the body swells, insects move in, the organs digest themselves and the skin liquifies. It's not pretty, but most people will tell you that the sight of a decomposing body can't compare to the smell. Most people are brought to their knees by that smell, which is partly a result of ammonia gas released during decomposition. The coroner removes the body before the clean-up starts, but usually leaves behind lots of liquefied body matter and odors as well as maggots that are carrying the person's blood. In addition to cleaning up the mess, cleaners sometimes have to track down and kill (by burning) any maggots that scurry out of the body and try to hide, because they're carrying germs and might be carrying viruses.

The scene of a methamphetamine lab, on the other hand, typically doesn't have the "gross factor" of a death scene, but it's often a lot more dangerous to clean up in terms of health risks. The laundry list of poisons used to make street-grade methamphetamine (including acetone, methanol, ammonia, benzene, iodine and hydrochloric acid) leaves a toxic residue that coats and infuses every surface and stays in the air. Most of these poisonous substances are absorbed through the skin, making a meth lab one of the most dangerous places a person can walk into. Exposure to a meth lab can cause reproductive disorders, birth defects, blindness, lung damage, liver damage and kidney damage, and that's just for starters. The scene remains toxic indefinitely unless it's properly cleaned -- an apartment that housed a meth lab can make its tenants sick a decade after the lab has been removed.

Proper clean-up of a meth lab involves disposing of everything porous and everything that can't be submerged in detoxification chemicals (several times). Crime-scene cleaners get rid of all furniture, cabinetry, light fixtures, carpeting, electronics ... basically everything that isn't part of the structure. And in the worst cases, they also dispose of most of the structure -- they sometimes have to pull up all of the flooring and gut the walls, removing all of the drywall until nothing remains but studs.

Regardless of the type of scene, the final step in any clean-up is disposing of the evidence (unless the owners of the apartment or house have contracted the cleaners to do restoration work as well). This is actually a more complicated task than it may seem. You can't put hazardous or biohazardous waste in regular trash dump. Crime-scene cleaners need a special permit to transport it. To dispose of it, in the case of the blood and gore they have to pay (typically by the pound) to burn it in a medical-waste incinerator. Some incinerators have minimum amounts they'll burn, so the cleaning company might have to pay to store the refuse in a sealed, refrigerated area until they've collected the minimum amount. In the case of poisonous chemical waste, you can only dump it in special areas not accessible to the public, which costs additional cash. Transporting and disposing of waste can be a big percentage of a clean-up bill.

If cleaning up blood and brains and poisonous waste all sounds perfectly manageable to you, you might be a candidate for a career in crime-scene clean-up. In the next section, we'll take a look at the job and who's qualified to do it.

Q. I THINK WE HAVE PHOTOGRAPHS HERE THAT WE'VE MARKED AS COURT'S EXHIBIT 20 LABELED AT THE TOP "VAN DAM RESIDENCE MASTER BEDROOM." DO YOU RECOGNIZE WHAT WE HAVE DEPICTED THERE, MR. VAN DAM?
A. YES. IT'S THE MASTER BEDROOM.

Q. PHOTOGRAPH "A" APPEARS TO BE TAKEN FROM WHAT ANGLE LOOKING WHERE?
A. LOOKING STRAIGHT IN FROM ACROSS THE BRIDGE. THEN "B" IS AGAIN WHEN YOU CROSS THE THRESHOLD OF THE DOOR LOOKING STRAIGHT INTO THE ROOM.

Q. APPEARS TO BE A DRESSER WITH SOMETHING IN FRONT OF THAT DRESSER. WHAT'S THAT?
A. THIS IS A STEAM CLEANER AND SOME TOWELS AND THIS IS ACTUALLY LIKE AN ARMOIRE.

Q DO YOU ALSO HAVE A STEAM CLEANER?
A YES.

Q WHERE WAS THAT?
A IT WAS IN MY BEDROOM.

Q WHY WAS THAT OUT?
A IT WAS OUT BECAUSE A COUPLE OF DAYS PRIOR TO DANIELLE MISSING, THE DOG HAD PEED IN HER ROOM IN TWO PLACES. SHE WANTED THE DOG TO SLEEP IN HER ROOM, AND THE DOG PEED IN HER ROOM AND I HAD TO STEAM CLEAN IT UP.

...Q. AND I'D LIKE TO DIRECT YOUR ATTENTION TO THE PHOTOGRAPHS "A" AND "B", WHAT ARE THEY LOOKING AT?
A. THAT IS OUR STEAM CLEANER.

Q. AND IS THAT RIGHT IN THE ENTRANCE WAY TO YOUR HOUSE.
A. YES, IT IS.

Q. HOW LONG HAD IT BEEN THERE?
A. JUST A FEW DAYS.
(Who was moving items of evidence and then photographing them in their new spot?)

..."THIS IS A STEAM CLEANER AND SOME TOWELS"
..."THAT IS OUR STEAM CLEANER."

Q: WHEN YOU -- AND I CAN'T REMEMBER THE DATE; PERHAPS YOU CAN HELP ME. WHEN YOU SAW THE FOR LACK OF A TERM VACUUM OR STEAM CLEANER, THAT WAS LOCATED IN THE MASTER BEDROOM, IS THAT CORRECT?
A: THAT'S CORRECT. AND THAT WAS ON THE FIRST DAY.

Q: ALL RIGHT. AND I BELIEVE YOU DESCRIBED IT AS BEING WET INSIDE. IS THAT RIGHT?
A: YES.

...Q: WHEN YOU WENT INTO DANIELLE'S BEDROOM, DID YOU PAY NOTE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT ANY OF HER CARPETING APPEARED TO BE WET?
A: I DID PAY PARTICULAR NOTE TO THAT. I GOT DOWN ON MY HANDS AND KNEES, AND I FELT AROUND THE CARPET TO MAKE SURE THAT IT HADN'T BEEN RECENTLY WETTED.

Q: AND WHAT WERE THE RESULTS OF YOUR EXAMINATION OF IT?
A: IT WAS DRY.

...Q DO YOU ALSO HAVE A STEAM CLEANER?
A YES.

Q WHERE WAS THAT?
A IT WAS IN MY BEDROOM.
(If the steam cleaner was in the master bedroom, where would one expect the carpet to be wet? In Danielle's room as Brenda suggested? Damon and Brenda told one unbelievable tale, didn't they? How incompetent is SDPD? Who would one contact to inquire about a complete, new and unbiased investigation of the evidence? Absolutely unbelievable for those with a few more facts than others. It does begin to make sense as to what actually happened, doesn't it?
Just a theory created from the testimony and EVIDENCE presented to the jury.)

One has to ask when the steam vac belonging to the van Dams was collected.

The next question is when did the steam vac belonging to Damon and Brenda get placed by the front door? When did it get photographed by the front door?
Did the carpet in the master bedroom provide evidence of having been recently been vacuumed? Why wasn't the canister from the steam vac tested for biological evidence? Was it possible Danielle's earring back was steam cleaned up and then flushed down the drain or toilet?

I always wondered WHY neighbor ladies were allowed into the house before the victims. That never made sense to me. Now a reason to explain what actually may have happened has risen from the ashes. A clean up crew.

Damon:
Q. WHOA, MY TURN. WHERE YOU SAID THE DOGGIE BED IS NOW YOU POINTED TO PHOTOGRAPH "B" AND YOU POINTED NEAR THE STEAM CLEANER; IS THAT CORRECT?
A. CORRECT.
(Objection vague as to which steam cleaner and the location of the steam cleaner.)

Q. AND WHERE WAS THE DOGGIE BED WHEN IT WAS -- IN WHICH PHOTOGRAPH?
A. IN PHOTOGRAPH "C" ON THE RIGHT SIDE ON THE FLOOR IN FRONT OF THE NIGHTSTAND THERE.

Q. SO BETWEEN THE BED AND THE WALL THAT'S ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE?
A. CORRECT.

Q. AND THEN THERE WAS A MESS THAT THE DOG HAD MADE, IS THAT RIGHT?
A. THE DOG HAD PULLED THE DOGGIE BED OUT AND THERE WAS STUFFING IN THE BED THAT WAS VISIBLE IN PHOTOGRAPH "A" ON THE FLOOR.(Two options. Damon didn't do a very good job of cleaning up the stuffing from the doggie bed or SDPD was in the house taking pictures 6 hours before the 911 call.)

Q. AND YOU CLEANED THAT UP SOMEHOW?
A. YEAH. I CLEANED THAT UP, TOOK IT DOWNSTAIRS.
(If he cleaned it up, how did SDPD take photos of an event which took place 6 hours BEFORE their arrival?)

Q. THEN WHAT DID YOU DO WITH THE DOG?
A. I PUT THE BED IN THE LAUNDRY ROOM AND TOOK THE DOG TO THE BACK SLIDING GLASS DOOR, OPENED IT AND LET HER OUT TO GOTO THE BATHROOM, CLOSED THE DOOR WHILE I WAS WAITING, 'CAUSE IT WAS COLD OUTSIDE, AND WHEN I -- I WATCHED HER AND WHEN SHE WAS DONE I LET HER BACK IN.